Commercial paper.



UNITED STATES Patented May 16, 1905.

-VVILLIAM M. AFFELDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMMERCIAL PAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,244, dated May 16, 1905.

Application filed November 18, 1904. Serial No. 233,290.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. AFFELDER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Commercial Paper, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved form of commercial paper, being particularly adapted for use in checks, and has for its object to combine with the check an itemized statement of the account in payment of which the check is given, so that the indorsement of the check amounts to a receipt to such account, and a statement showing the division or distribution among the various charge accounts of the amount for which the check is written; and

the invention consists in combining with the tion, and Fig. 2 represents the back thereof.

The check illustrated in the drawings comprises such an instrument drawn or printed in the usual form and designated A. On some part of the check I print a blank form C, consisting of a series of lines and columns arranged to facilitate the entry of the itemsof the account in payment of which the check is given. This printed form comprises a column 2 for the dates and-columns 3 for the amounts of the items. In order to permit a large number of items to be entered, I prefer to print this account in double form-that is to say, having two columns side by side. I also provide a space in which the proper officer may place his signature for approval of the account, as at 5, and also a place for the signature of the bookkeeper or auditor who certifies to the correctness of the account, as at 4:. I have found that the most desirable location for this printed. form C is upon the back of the check and near one end thereof, so

that the indorsement of the payee comes directly below the account that is entered on the form, and I prefer to print directly below such form the words Indorsed and accepted in full payment of items above noted or equivalent words. Above the form I also prefer to print the words In settlement of following charges. It will thus be seen that the indorsement of the check also amounts to a receipt of the bill or account stated in the form C, and the arrangement is such that the statement and receipt are in close proximity to each other and in the arrangement usually followed in receipting a statement or bill. On another part of the check, and preferably on the front thereof and to the left of the check proper, A, I print another blank form "that is adapted to receive the entries showing to what charge accounts of the maker of the check the sum for which the check is written is distributed and the amount apportioned to each of such accounts. This printed form preferably consists of a series of columns and drawings. At 6 are a series of lines arranged below the word Charge, upon which are entered the titles of the various accounts, while opposite these lines at 7 are columns to receive figures. Adjacent to the ruling just described, and preferably above the same, is a blank 8 to receive the voucher number, and another blank 9 to receive the date of the voucher. The date, it may be noted, does not always correspond with the date of the check.

To illustrate the invention, I have represented a check payable'to A. B. Furniture Company for eight hundred and eighty-five dollars, dated October '20, 1904. The itemized statement of account for which this check is given appears on the back in form. C. It shows debit entries under various dates to the amount of nine hundred and twenty-five dollars and a credit of forty dollars, leaving the balance eight hundred and eighty-five dollars, the amount of the check. In the form B, at 8, is entered the number of the voucher that corresponds with the check, such as J-93e, while its date, September 30, 1904:, is filled in the space 9. In the part 6 of the form B are entered the titles of the lines and headings, such as shown at B in the v and arranged to receive the entries of the names several charge accounts to which the items covered by the statement appearing in form C are distributed and in the columns 7 the amounts apportioned to each account. Thus in the form shown the charge account Plant is charged with five hundred dollars, Office furniture with three hundred and seventyfive dollars, and Expense with ten dollars, the total of these amounting to eight hundred and eighty-five dollars, the amount of the check.

Among the advantages incident to the use of a check of this kind may be noted the following: When such a check is sent out, it is not necessary that it be accompanied either with a voucher or an itemized statement of account. B contains the voucher entries, while in the form (I appear the itemized entries of the individual account. The saving in bookkeeping incident to the use of a check of this kind will be apparent to those skilled in this art.

-What I claim isl. The combination with acheck, of an itemized statement-of-account form printed on the back of the check, whereby the indorsement of the check becomes also a receipt to the statement of. account, and another printed form containing a space suitably designated of those charge accounts of the maker of the check to which the amount for which the check is written is distributed and columns for fig ures opposite such rulings, substantially as set forth.

2. Thecombination withacheck,of.anitemized statement-of-account form printed on the back of the check, and a charge-account form printed on the frontof thecheck, the latter form having a suitably designated and arranged space to receive the names of the diii'erent charge accounts among which the total amount for which the check is written is distributed, and columns for figures opposite said space, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a check,of a chargeaccount form having a set of rulings to receive the names of accounts among which the total amount for which the check is written is distributed, such rulings being headed by the word Charge, a series of columns to receive figures standing opposite said rulings, a space suitably designated to receive the "oucher number, and a suitably-designated space to receive the voucher date, substantiallyas set forth.

4. The'combination with a check, of an itemized statement-of-account form printed on the back thereof, whereby the indorsement of the check becomes a receipt to the itemized statement of account, and having printed on the front of the checka form containing a set of rulings headed by the word Charge, columns to contain figures in line with the said rulings, a space designated to receive the voucher number, and another space designated to receive the voucher date, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM M. AFFELDER.

Witnesses:

LOUIS J. MoR'roN, HENRY BREUNIC'J, Jr. 

